Opus 275, “Guitar and Flowers”

This broad, vibrant painting combines two principal motifs, each on its own separate axis. The energy it imparts follows a side-to-side flow of blossoming flowers in contrast to the stout symmetry of a dark-hued guitar that establishes a vertical axis. For all its emphasis on such a monumental scheme, it presents equally subtle effects. A cast shadow gives a mere hint of planarity, while fluttering bits of paint move with abandon in their own atmospheric rhythm. A strong contrast of colors (in light and dark hues) brings the evenly raised flowers above into competition with a delicate range of gradations across the purple background. There is even a notable synesthetic component, with the sound evocation of a familiar instrument paired with a songbird’s presence above, evoking sonic experiences joined to coloristic stimuli. All in all, this is one of Cano’s most complex and challenging aesthetic explorations.